Jake wasn't the only one who noticed the shift.
Zerei's death was just one more casualty among countless others since the war had begun, yet it struck harder than most because it crushed the last flicker of hope they still had.
The cruel truth stood right before them.
No miracle was coming.
No magical power-up born from friendship, hope, or ambition could bridge a gap that obscene in strength and numbers. Raw willpower, like blind faith in one's own ability, could carry someone incredibly far... but only when the danger had been overestimated.
Here, it was the exact opposite.
The threat swallowing them from every direction was real, and a temporary surge of power would never be enough to overcome it.
Before long, Zerei's tragedy repeated itself.
One after another, the weaker Players ran out of War Drive in situations more catastrophic than the last.
